Keeping Up with the Tabloids
by NicoleFloodWood
Summary: University. A place where you stretch your mind more than you ever did at school. Add being a gossip mag favourite to the mix plus a brother that seems to 'blinded by love' and you have the new life of Annie Marquis. Sequel to "Grownups?". Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

**So here is the first chapter. Please do tell me what you. I would be incredibly helpful.**

**NicoleFloodWood**

** -x-**

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Annie laughed with her friends as they sat at Twickenham. This was the home of England Rugby. Her home is a sense. But as she drank with her friends as they looked onto the pitch she felt a pair of eyes bore into her. Turning around she gave a polite nod and smile to the woman, Mrs Harriet

Taking another sip of the alcoholic infusion that sat in her hands. She smiled wearily as England punched another hole into Wales defence. She laughed as some Welsh celebrity behind her shout down to the players. "You know what?" began Camilla "I just want to get to the party.""You do realise that it's just a banquet." Annie replied serious "Then dancing" as they all laughed. Just then Harry returned with a tray full of drinks. "What you trying to do poison me" Annie joked as she took the bottle

"Nope. But wicked witch of the upper-class and her sidekick does." Adam laughed as he point to Hugo's mother and his new girlfriend

"Well then I am just going to enjoy tonight even more." a sly smiled sweeping across her face "I have the perfect dress.""What does it look like? Where is it from?" Chelsea asked quickly

"Like Keira Knightley's in Atonement. The green emerald one." she smiled at the thought of it. "I got one of the designer to design the perfect one for me.""I see your out to kill." Chelsea joked

"And why would I do that. I am perfectly happy, independent woman. Who does not need to find someone as soon as they are out of a long-term relationship" she spoke loud enough for Hugo's mum as her friends laughed.

As the game progressed and it became apparent the England were going to win by a milestone. Her gang of friends stood up to give their congratulations to the players on winning the Grand Slam. Annie stayed put and watch as Hugo made another push to score the last try. And just as he did her mobile went. Looking down at the text she saw her brother's name and completely ignored it.

And finally as Charleston kick around the conversion and ended the game, she stood up and began to make her way out of stadium. She didn't want to wait for the trophy to be handed out, the medals to be collected and the champagne to be sprayed. While the wives and girlfriends descended the pitch. She wasn't one anymore, even how hard her friends tried to make her one. She especially wasn't in the mood to see Hugo push Terrie in her face more than she needed to be.

She was going to have to put up with them tonight as she had at every ever game party this tournament. Them and their lovey-dovey ways. The only reason she was at those parties was because of her friends, though she did usually find a very nice gentleman to grind against on the dance floor. But at least tonight she had a reason to go. She was the patron of one of the charities being helped by tonight's banquet. It was her job to sit and smile and look gracious. Be appreciative and polite.

Deep-down she hated the fact that her relationship with Hugo was over, she hated the fact that her brother didn't believe that it was his gold-digger that broke the relationship as payback. Well life doesn't come without a losing at times, she'd learnt that early on. Maybe that was what made her so resistant to the fact that she had been abandoned many times over.

Jason sat in his hotel suite waiting for the reply. The reply that would tell him his sister was ok. Looking across at the TV to the game that had played out he knew it wasn't coming. He had allowed his adult sister to completely take control of her life without guidance and she was determined to so it to him. Looking around the elegant room his eyes passed a pile of magazines, he knew his sister would be on the cover of most. She was quite the socialite, doing her studies then spending the weekend partying in some fabulously fancy part of any city in the UK. The photos from inside, he knew that make his dad turn in his grave. All the posh little public school boys, the Eton boys, the Wellington boys. The list goes on and he knows that it's probably down to the break-up. They were all chasing her.

But as Tiffany walks into the room and smiles at him, he puts it to the back on his mind. But another more deadly thought replaces it. It was seeded by Annie herself. Was the only fact that he was with Tiffany because sub-consciously he wanted to do what he couldn't and haven't do for his sister, care for her.

And as they she watched his fiancée smiled, laugh and point to all the strange and different things. He liked her naivety. It was pleasant. And so stepping out of the chauffeured car they walked straight past the flashing lights of the photographers and straight into the Hotel. He still didn't understand why he couldn't just walk from his hotel room into the room.

So he sat with the rest of his band and their partners. The room was full of people, a few he knew from his childhood. His dad's school friend. His mum's maid of honour. It felt serial, he hadn't seen these people in a long time and now he was sat in the same room. But as he tried to work out the rest of the people Shane elbowed him in the side.


	2. PartyPartyParty

**So GCSE's the bane of any British teenagers life. You've spent years in education for this moment. It's make of break my friend and you have to preform. And I'm predict some pretty high grades and I need those Grades to got to the Sixth Form of MY choice. So I will try and update when I have some relaxing time but I cant't promise loads or anything really. I am sorry but this is really important to me because I want to go to a Red Brick University. At the moment I'm think Edinburgh. And I do need high grades in my A-Levels to go, and to do my A-Levels I need good GCSE's results.**

**I am truly sorry**

**NicoleFloodWood**

** -x-**

**Oh, quickly some background on British Laws**

**Your an Adult and can legally have sex at 16**

**You can Drive at 17**

**And You Drink alcohol at 18**

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"Party. Party. Party" her friends chanted as they entered the hall. Annie just smiled because for once her reserved side had kicked in and all she wanted to be at home in Shropshire with a good book. But instead she pressed on with today's engagement and thought of the children she'd be helping by turning up tonight.

Taking her place at the her table. Her group was one of the last to be seated. She silently laughed at the thought of keeping everyone in this room. And as she sat down and the whispers around the hall grew only did her smile, the thought that people were try to gossip about her was laughable because there were no skeletons in her closet. No, that had been shared with the world since she was young. The press always trying to get a story out of her.

And what had she gotten in return, the term Queen-Socialite. An army barrack of paparazzi following her every move. And people trying to sell stories about her left, right and centre. She wouldn't be surprised if it turned out to be Tiffany.

The whispering only halted when the Chairman stood up to take his speech. "I firstly…" he began. And as he droned on and everyone began to listen Annie smiled seemed to grow. She began to realise that maybe she was doing the exact things she wanted to do. She was making him squirm. It was only confirmed when Tania told Annie to looked over her right shoulder. And there he was. In his team suit. He looked a picture. And so was his face. He couldn't no quite get over the fact that she now seemed to be full back on the market. And he knew that Arabella Marquis wouldn't take much persuading to be taken straight back off.

But what came next only added to her happiness, Tania whispered in her ear to looked left past Hugo's table. And when she did as commanded she was met by a guy that could past of Darcy smiling at her. Sending a smile back she moved back to talking with Tania. "Don't think I didn't notice you. Jason. That's the reason you were looking at the table right?"

"Well he was my friend" she answered back to quickly

"See the redhead next to him." Annie replied both looking at them "that's the Gold-Digging little slut."

"Wow, she isn't even that pretty." Camilla commented as the two girls looked at her strangely

"What it's a small table. Oh, and Tania you are so much better than her." Camilla replied a little to loudly.

"Arabella, what is going on at your table?" the chairman spoke "We both may have left the club. But you are not old enough not to be told off by me." at this one very annoying nose snort came out and the whole of Annie's table knew who it was.

"Oh sorry sir. We were just discussing the merits of my brother's current fiancée." she said sweetly "we come to the agreement that she is an absolute Gold-Digger who is only dating my brother for the fame and money." and to this Annie's table and Hugo laughed.

"Well maybe your Uncle Toby should analyse the situation later. But please do not bring us mere muggles into it." and when the chairmen spoke the whole room either erupted into applause or laughter.

"Of course sir. I am sure Tania and myself will do that later." she smiled

And as the speech proceeded, laying out all of what the board wanted to do for the following year Annie didn't dare let her eyes wonder. She didn't wish or want to see the disappointment in her brother's eyes. Though she did not show as much nowadays, but she was still the little girl who wanted his affections. Who sat in the hotel room on a cold rainy Christmas day waiting for him. Wanting to give him the present she had so delicately pick out for him. Or the girl who waited until it was perfect time for him so she could tell him her GCSE results. Even then she got his voicemail. Severn times before she gave up.

Finally once the food had been devoured. And the alcohol drunk. It was time for socialising. So it wasn't surprising when she found herself being dragged by her elbow towards a darkened corner. "Annie I cannot believe you. Absolutely cannot believe you would say such a thing." Jason ranted

"Well you believe I'll take what she did to me lying down." Annie whispered not wishing to be overheard.

"Arabella will you begin to grow up. You act as if you're the first person to experience heart break…" Jason started

"I've experienced heartbreak before. Remember the summer of '08. That was my first heartbreak. Where were you when I rang a hundred dozen times. Where was you oh wonderful brother of mine. No where Jason. Rob was the one who sorted him out in the end. Uncle Toby got Robert to sort him out. Don't you think that was your job, ah?" she looked at him with disgust. "Shane may have been the one to show it on the outside but you. You've changed."

"Arabella, do you really think that I'm the big bad wolf here. I know those schools changes you…"

"The schools didn't change me, the situation did. I'm not the girl I might have been because of the situation. I didn't write music because it began depressing. I became what I am today because of the circumstances. Nothing else. Heck, you could say I changed me." Annie said before walking away.

And just as Annie enter the bright lights and Jason watched as she easily talk with people he found his ex by his side. "You know she can now make friends pretty easily." Tania spoke

"I miss it." was all Jason could reply

"You know you weren't have missed it if you ever turned up. You we used to send duplicates of the invites to you. Mum always made sure."

"I know, I know. But I was busy. That's why we grew apart."

"Yeah totally. You became focused on your band and them. You look after them as though they were brothers. How can you not do that for Annie?"

"Because I had to be parent. That's scary. I was not ready. I was seventeen. You know UK law and all that. I'd just got this amazing opportunity and then I got a sister/daughter. I didn't know how to handle it. So I did what seemed best. You went to those schools, right? You were fine."

"I was fine because I went home every weekend. Every half term. Every holiday. Band holiday. My parents would pick me up. You know I didn't realise that you never came for Annie until she turn sixteen. Suddenly she was around the world. And to be honest I don't think you ever knew where she was. You know she's lived her life being assumed to be someone she's not. She spent every waking day at school finding herself in a room full of you guys. That isn't good for her. She come so far since going to uni, she can come and go as she pleases."

"What about the partying?"

"Part of the experience. She's knows her limit. She has good friends. Robert keeps and eye but it's hard since he's at Oxford so it's hard, with the rivalry."

"Why'd he go to Oxford" Jason asked trying to change the subject

"Best for his subject. Something about science. They basically in the same group just different version. Oxford and Cambridge." Tania laughed making the signal with her hands and then her face dropped. "I think you better get back to your fiancée."

"What? Did I say something?" Jason asked attentively

"Jason just go to the girl." and with that she walked away.

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**Please Read and Review.**

**NicoleFloodWood**

** -x-**


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